Nintendo’s Switch has already sold over 85 million times worldwide. Now there should soon be a revised version of the mix of mobile and TV game consoles. BILD says what fans of Mario, Link & Co. can look forward to. What rumors are there, what is already clear? Which functions should the new device bring? Everything you need to know about the new console is here!
Update June 4th 2021:
The events come thick and fast. The Switch Pro announcement expected for June 3 has apparently been postponed. Even in its program for the E3 games fair (starting on June 12), Nintendo only speaks of the fact that they want to concentrate on software for the console.
Nevertheless, there are exciting news about the next console: A French retail chain has already revealed the price for the console: It will cost a proud 399 euros, which is significantly more expensive than the previous Switch, which Nintendo is offering for 309 euros.
Update June 1, 2021:
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The new switch could be presented much earlier than previously expected. A report from Bloomberg said that Nintendo wanted to present its console before the E3 video game fair. The digital event starts on June 12th and a presentation of the Switch Pro before the date would allow game developers to announce the first titles for the new console at the show.
The well-connected podcaster Nick Baker now even claims to have made an appointment for the presentation.
In his tweet he speaks of next Thursday, but also points out that Nintendo’s presentation dates have recently been postponed again at short notice.
The Bloomberg report mentioned above contains one more exciting detail: the analysts expect the Switch Pro to be more expensive than the previous Switch. However, you still assume that the new console will replace the old one. In the long term, only the Switch Pro and the Switch Lite will remain on offer. So far, many observers had assumed that Nintendo would offer three devices.
Update from May 11, 2021:
Nintendo spoke for the first time in an official setting about a successor to the Switch. in the conversation Regarding the results of the past fiscal year, one of the managers said: “We are in the middle of the life cycle of the switch. It is now time to invest in the next generation of hardware. ”The only thing unclear here is: Is this an improved version of the console, i.e. the Switch Pro, or is it actually a real successor to the Switch? but wouldn’t go on sale for three or four years.
Steven V. Abramson, head of the screen manufacturer Universal Display Corp., was much more specific. In a conversation with investors, he gossiped: “Nintendo has opted for an OLED screen in the new Switch Pro because OLED offers higher contrast values and faster response times.”
Update from April 15, 2021:
The rumors about the Switch Pro continue to intensify. In the code of the new switch operating system, programmers have found clues to new functions of the dock. These functions – such as 4K video output and the ability to update the software of the dock – are not used by the current switch. So they must have been programmed into the system in preparation for a new device.
Until then, Nintendo is introducing a new color variant of the Switch Lite. The mobile version of the game console, which costs almost 200 euros, will be available in blue as well as coral, turquoise, gray and yellow from May 7, 2021. Technically, the device is identical to the previous Switch-Lite models – only the plastic of the housing is really new.
The blue Switch Lite comes in May and, like the other color variants, will also be sold for 199 eurosPhoto: manufacturer
Update from April 4, 2021:
A new patent that Nintendo has filed with the US Patent Office shows a controller that could perhaps be used on the Switch Pro. The drawing shows a new layout of the control elements: Instead of four individual buttons, the Joy-Con has a control pad (DPad). Unlike the controllers used previously, this is above the mini joystick. There are also two special buttons instead of a menu button on the drawing. Perhaps also a reference to a new function that will only be available on the Pro version of the Switch.
Exciting: The drawing of a patent application shows a Joy-Con that can apparently be coupled with the previous switch – but has a significantly different button layout and an additional button. Insiders assume that this is the controller of the new Switch ProPhoto: US Patent Office
Update from March 23, 2021:
A report from Bloomberg reveals more details about the Switch Pro: The new console will get a chip from Nvidia that uses artificial intelligence to improve video quality. Nvidia is already using this DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology in its RTX graphics cards. However, the system is not in the Tegra X1 switch chip (also from Nvidia). Apparently, Nintendo is planning to switch to a new processor platform that could be significantly faster.
Bloomberg further confirms that the stronger version of Nintendo’s game console will go on sale this year.
Version of March 18, 2021:
What’s a name anyway?
The name of the new version of the Switch is currently unclear, as Nintendo has not yet commented on rumors about the new device. But in the meantime the name Switch Pro has established itself in the network when writing about the device.
Exciting: the name already suggests that the Switch Pro will not be a real “next generation” of the console, but only an improved version on which all previous titles will continue to run.
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A bit of 4K
Probably the most important novelty: The hardware (which is being developed under the code name Aula) is to be more powerful. The computing power of the current devices is easily enough on the go, but on the television you can now clearly see the difference between the Full HD graphics of the Switch and the much more detailed 4K animations that Sony’s Playstation 5 and Micsoft’s Xbox Series X deliver. Even when compared to the Xbox One or the Playstation 4, the Switch doesn’t do particularly well.
If you believe the current rumors, however, the Switch Pro will also work primarily in the Full HD area, as Nintendo will probably continue to use the Nvidia Tegra X1 as the graphics chip, which is already used in the previous Switch models. However, the Switch Pro docking station could contain an optimized chip including a cooling system, which enables the Tegra to be clocked up and thus an improved Full HD signal to be extrapolated to 4K.
The current switch models
Nintendo Switch
System chip: Nvidia Tegra X1 (1.02 GHz) with 4 GB RAM
Memory: 32 GB, expandable via microSD
Display: 6.2 inch LCD (1280×720 pixels)
Battery: 4310 mAh, 4.5 to 9 hours runtime
Housing: 23.9 x 10.2 x 1.4 cm, 297 g, with removable controllers 398 g
Price: 309 euros
Nintendo Switch Lite
System chip: Nvidia Tegra X1 (1.02 GHz) with 4 GB RAM
Memory: 32 GB, expandable via microSD
Display: 5.5 inch LCD (1280 x 720 pixels)
Battery: 3570 mAh, 3 to 7 hours runtime
Housing: 20.3 x 9.1 x 1.4 cm, 275 g, with integrated controller
Price: 219 euros
The two switch models that are already on the market. Above the switch, below the smaller Lite version, which no longer has detachable Joycons and cannot be connected to a television via a docking stationPhoto: BILD
Brighter display
One thing is also certain: when the Switch Pro comes, it will get a better display. The current models use LCDs with 1280 x 720 pixels. An upgrade to the Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 seems logical for the built-in display. Since the model is called Pro, the screen is also getting bigger rather than smaller.
It is less clear which display technology Nintendo will use in the Switch Pro. Bloomberg, for example, reports on a brilliant and battery-saving seven-inch OLED screen. Other rumors talk about an LCD with MicroLED lighting. These screens are cheaper so could help keep the console inexpensive.
Theoretically, it would also be conceivable that the Switch Pro comes without a screen and is only intended for TV operation (just as the Switch Lite can only be used on a mobile basis). With this design decision, Nintendo would probably take away the greatest advantage of the device over Playstation and Xbox.
What about the games?
Important: According to Nintendo USA boss Doug Bowser (!) The Switch is only about in the middle of its life cycle. The Switch Pro is therefore not a new generation, but a more powerful version of the popular device.
Accordingly, the Switch Pro will be able to play all Switch titles. Chances are, new titles will look noticeably better on the Switch Pro than on the two older devices. It is also conceivable (but rather unlikely) that there will be games that will only run on Switch Pro.
But it is also clear: There will be new titles for the Switch Pro. Games like “Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2”, the next “Pokémon” and a sequel to “Bayonetta” are still on the plan for Nintendo this year.
The BILD wish list for the Switch Pro
– better battery life
– Bluetooth not only for the controllers but also for headphones
– a larger display for mobile use
– real 4K quality for the TV
– Backwards compatibility with all previous Switch games
When and how much money?
There is currently no official announcement or launch date for the console. Therefore, information on the price is still pure speculation. The two current models cost 309 and 219 euros respectively.
The Switch Pro will be a technically better version of the console, but it must not be too expensive if it is to be attractive to as many players as possible. Therefore, observers assume a price of around 400 euros. The Christmas business in 2021 is now expected as the start date.